| Welcome to the latest inside indigo! We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates with you. Last month we warmly welcomed two amazing women to our board. Olivia Wellesley-Cole has been appointed to the casual vacancy created when Fyfe Strachan stepped down from the Board. Louisa Yasukawa has joined in a newly created role of Board Trainee. Olivia and Louisa will bring incredible experience and new perspectives to the Board and the wider indigo family. We’re also delighted to announce two new community partnerships – Magna Carta PNG and Arcoiris Timor-Leste – both doing incredible work in their communities. Read more about them below. In February, we held our Annual Gathering in Sydney, bringing together our board, staff, volunteers, and supporters. It was a time to reconnect, reflect on the past year, celebrate 25 years of supporting grassroots communities and plan for the future. Meanwhile, our amazing HAKO Partnership Coordinator, Jenny, and her partner are taking on a 600km trek along the Camino Portugués! Find out how you can support their indigo fundraiser below. Finally, we’d love your input! Please take our latest survey – it only takes a few minutes. We want to better understand our supporters in Australia and improve the way we engage and communicatee with you. Your feedback will be invaluable in shaping our work. Thank you for being part of the indigo community. Kind regards Stav Zotalis Executive Director indigo foundation |
| We want to hear from you! Our supporter survey takes less than five minutes and is completely anonymous. Your feedback helps us understand what matters most to you and how we can strengthen our impact. Take a moment to share your thoughts and help shape the future of indigo foundation. |
| Welcome to our new board members |
 Olivia Wellesley-ColeOlivia worked overseas in the international humanitarian system between 2007 and 2024. As an emergency responder with skills in humanitarian protection and coordination, she worked in nine countries in Africa and the Indo Pacific, including Timor-Leste, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Fiji and Sri Lanka, working with five UN agencies and two NGOs. Read more… |
 Louisa YasukawaLouisa is a lawyer with more than seven years’ experience in the human rights and humanitarian sectors. In 2023 and 2024, Louisa worked for the UNHCR in Quito, Ecuador, where she supported Colombian and Venezuelan refugees to be resettled in safe countries. Read more… |
| Two New Partners |
 Magna Carta PNG Inc (MCPNGI) is an independent human rights organisation based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It works to educate youth, empower women, and uphold human rights. MCPNGI plays a vital role in supporting victims of gender-based violence, advocating for persons with disabilities, and improving access to justice.  Arcoiris Timor-Leste is a locally-led human rights organisation advocating for equal rights and inclusion for LGBTIQ+ communities in Timor-Leste. Registered with the Ministry of Justice, Arcoiris implement programs and promotes awareness to improve the lives of LGBTIQ+ people across the country. |
| Step by Step for indigo Join Jenny and Andrew on a 600km Journey to Empower Communities. Jenny is indigo’s Partnership Coordinator for HAKO Women’s Collective in Bougainville. Over 25 days in March and April, Jenny and her partner Andrew, will be trekking more than 600 km along the Camino Portugués. With an aim of raising $2,500 for indigo foundation’s global partners, let’s show our support to Jenny and Andrew. Please share their adventure and donate if you can. |
| Annual Gathering Feb 15-16 |
| On 15-16 February the indigo team had its annual gathering in Sydney to reconnect and look ahead to effective fundraising and supporting our community partners. We discussed and developed strategies in relation to community partnerships, donor and supporter relationships and locally led development practice. We also explored big picture development issues and discussed genuine and effective local partnerships.The open session this year was particularly special with new and old friends there to learn about and celebrate our community partnerships and our 25th anniversary.Thank you to everyone who attended and helped to make this gathering a huge success. |
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| JDN Visit Late last year, our Partnership Coordinator, Heidi, visited our partner JDN in Timor-Leste. During her time there, she witnessed first hand the inspiring work that JDN’s young leaders are doing to create positive change in their communities. We’ve put together a short video capturing moments from Heidi’s visit – watch it to see the energy, commitment and hope that drives JDN’s work every day. |
A huge thank you to indigo’s loyal friend, Supipi Jayawardena, who recently donated a large amount of her time, ingredients and skills to create not one, but three seperate delectable Sri Lankan Feasts for auction winners. We are eternally grateful for Supipi’s generous support of indigo! |
 On March 8, we celebrated International Women’s Day by sharing inspiring stories from our partners, including Sumitha from rural Tamil Nadu. In a community where most girls leave school early, Sumitha dared to dream differently. With coaching provided by our local partner PEAB with support from indigo foundation, she scored 95% in her Year 12 exams. Though she aspired to study law, family pressures led her to pursue commerce – but she hasn’t given up on her dream.Sumitha’s journey reflects the impact of education and the value of perseverance. With PEAB, our local partner, we’ve helped hundreds of Dalit children access higher education and brighter futures.It’s not too late to support our International Women’s Day Appeal and empower more young women like Sumitha! Donate here. |
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